Vending machine



March 13, 1928. 1,662,472

v H. H. PULVER VENDING MACHINE Fiied om. 28, 1922 2 sheets-sheen 1 ATTORN S.

2 .Sheets-Sheet 2 H. H. PULVER VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1922 INVENTOR. Hemw .Puverf BY ATTO EYS.

March 13, 1928.

Patented Mar. 13, i928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. PULVER, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO JOSEPH G. BIEHLER, ONE-FOURTH 'I'.O EDWARD A. PULVER, AND ONE-FOURTH TO LIBBIE H. PULVER, ALL 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. l

VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed October 28, 1922.

T he object of this invention is to provide a new and improved type of vending ina chine.

This and other` objects of this invention Will he fully illustrated in the drawing, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof'.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l lis a front elevation of the improved vendingr machine.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional *vieu* of a part of the operating mechanism, the section being taken on the line of Figure 5.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the vending Amachine with a portion of the machine broken away and sli-own in section.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view ot the vending' machine, the section being taken on the lineiX-4X of Figure l.

Figure 5 is ay transverse vertical sectional view of the operating mechanism of the vendingr machine, the section beingtaken on the line .VfL-5X of Figure et.

ln the several figures of the drawings like 4reference numerals indicate like parts.

Vending machines are used for the pur- -poscof dispensing small inexpensive articles such as candy, chewing' rum and many othei` commodities preferably such that can be sold for a cent. The machines are usually mount ed in places Where the public is mese likely to use them because of they convenience Which they citer when there is not a store or stand vin 'the immediate vicinity Where the same article can be purchaser. Because they are not attended a vending machine is usually subjected to much abuse especially by children who make a practice'of playing with the mechanism which sooner or later is apt to put it out of commission. It is, therefore. essential in the construction of a vending' machine that the mechanism is not only durable `but is also fool proof so that .no matter how much the lmachine is abused and tampered with the mechanism will not get out of order.

In the construction ofthe vending machine forming` the subject matter of the present invention this has been given `the main consideration with the result that a simple, rugged and infallible operating mechanism has been created ,to freely rotate.

Serial No. 597,526.

This `mechanism comprises a pair of upright 4plates Qand 3 having suitable bearings provided therein in which the shaft e is adapted The bearing in the up- `right 2 comprises a. bushing ,4A which is suitably anchored in the upright 2 and projects ton-'ard the upright 3. Mounted to lfreely rotate on the bushing LA between the uprights 2 and 3 is the feed Wheel 5. This feed Wheel is made up of a pair of circular .tianges 6 and of which the flange has a central 8 hub formed thereon Which iS `mounted to rotate in the groove -B provided in the periphery of the bushing 4^, so that the feed Wheel 5 is `entirely supported on `.this .bushing` and can Jrotate independently ofthe shaft s With-out any possible fiictional interferencebetween it and the shaft.

The 7 formed by a vertical fiat ring); which is connected with .the iiange (i by theribs) and lOthat hold the Harige concenti'ically to 'thefbushing and shaft fl'. The

ribs 9 andlO arelocatedldiameti'ically opposite to each other and eachof them has a slot ll providedtherein.r The slots ll are parallel to `the shaft 2l and are each adapted to vhave coin inserted therein when it is opposite thesl-ot 3l. For this purpose `the slots ll ,are madeslightly shorter than the diameter of the coin so as not to .let the coin pass therethru but hold it in place .therein itor a pui-pose that will presently appear. On hoth sidesot.' each of the slots 1l -is provided a pin `l2 which form ledges that help to support the coin in place in the slots and hold it radiallytothe shaft 4t as illustrated in Figure `Tliese pins are supported `between the flanges (3 and 7, being suitably `fastened. therein.

On the shaft et andl centrally of the flanges `6 and 7 is keyed or otherwise suitably fastened the dog; 1,3. This dogprojects radially of the shatt'ffl` and rotates `ivithit ont-he. r0- tation ofthe handle 14 provided on the end of the shaft on the outside of the casing 1. The dog-18 is made to'rotate freely ivithin the vribs 9 and 10 of the wheel 5.

Thefilanges .6 and 7 are provided with a pairof `rectangular notches 1:5 and 1G "at flanges are adapted sin'eef-sireljy lo be placed under the rertical magazine 17 as will hereinatter be described.

rll`he magazine 17 is supported between the uprfght plates 2 and 3 at the top thereof so that the wheel .3 can slightly project into the end of the magazine. The magazine is made up ot a vertical rectangular tube of which the t'ront is cnt. awa)r leaving a small flange 1S on each side thereoi". 'lhe magazine is lilled by lstacking the articles to he vended into the magazine and this is facilitated by the open lront. ol the magazine because the. person filling the machine can take a quantity ot the articles` l'ictween the lingers ot one hand and slide the articles into the mage azinc it'rom the top. keeping hold ol the packages thru the open front et the magazine until the package at the bottom rests in the rectangular notches in the peripheiw1 ot the flanges t3 and T.

The back 19 ot the magazine has a pair of notches 20 and Q1 cut into the lower cud thereof into which the flanges (S and 7 respectively are adapted to project. At; the front ot the magt zine the vertical flanges 18 ot the magazine are cut short of the flanges (l and 7 ot' the wheel 5t leaving a clearance between them for the packages in the ma gazine to pass out at this point below the flanges 1S on the rotation ot the wheel 5, see Figure 1.

Mounted on the lett hand side ot the wheel 5 are a pair et rollers 22 and Q3. These rollers are diametrically in line with the shaft; l and are equally spaced from it as illustrated in Figures 23 and 3. These rollers are held in a predetermined angular line with the shaft 4 by means of the spring pressed arm This arm is piroted to the inside oit the Yvertical plate 2 on the stud 2t'. At a short distance from the stud the arm Llhas a` pin Ztl mounted thereon and this` pin is adapted to projecty through the slot 27 'trom the inside to the outside ot the vertical plate :2. On the outer end the pin 2G has a head 2% 'formed on it tor the purpose of holding a downwardl'tv projecting lng itl in place on the pn. This lug projects into the expansion coil spring 250 on the hase ot the machine. being suitabl)v held in place thereon.

The action o l the ,spring 3d normally forcer; the arm 2l; upwardlyv against; the rollers Q2 and Q3, and holds them in an angular line with the base ot the machine so that the wheel is held against rotation with the reetangnlar grooves 15 in the flanges G and 7 at the top ot the wheel and the grooves 16 at the bottom of the wheel or rice versa. This places the rectangular notches at the top in the flanges o'l the, wheel at the bottom of the magazine 1T so that the lowermost package in the magazine rests in the rectangular notches in the periphery of the flanges of the wheel.

To operate the vending machine the wheel 5 must, be rotated. For this purpose, a connection between the shaft 1 and the wheel 5 must be established. Thi.:` is done through the medium of the coin that is inserted into the machine by the person wishing to purchase one of the articles rendcd by the inachine. This coin inserted through a snitable slot lll in the casng ol the machine, into the slots 1l I irovided between the flanges t3 and 'T ot the wheel 5' onel ol' which is normail)v held in line with the. slot; ill in the casing. 'the coin is held in place in the slot l1 and rests against, the. pins l2. This allows a portion ol' the coin to project into the inside ot' the wheel. 'l`he coin thus toi-nis a. temporary inwardly projecting lug with which the outer end ot the dog lll is adapted to engage on the rotation of the handle l-lto operate the vending machine alter a coin has been, inserted into it as above pointed ont. The dog is rotated alone until it is brought in contact with the coin inserted in the wheel.

On the further rotation of the dog 13 by the shal't f1 and handle lt. the wheel 5 is rotated by the dog forcing the coin held in the slot ot the wheel alleati of it. rl`he wheel is rotated in this manner against the torce of the expansion spring $30 which forces the lever or arm against the rollers Q11 and :221. (7)11 the rotation ot the wheel by meansy ol' the dog 13 the roller 22 thus forced againstJ theI top ot the arm 2st which it depresscs against the force ol' the springl 30. '.l'his takes pl: e until the roller Q2 has been lforced past the dead center ot the wheel After that the pressure ot. the expansion spring opcrates to push up on the roller and in so doing it advances the wheel in the direction ot thtI movement given to the. wheel by the dog 13. r[he 'force with which this is done increases the speed o t the wheel and carries it through the resty ot a half turn and this without: turther motion given to it. b r the dog lil. 'l`o make, the coin disengage itself from the slot in the wheel and prevent its .-tielt`n,e therein a lug Il! is mounted on the inside of' the vertical plate Il. This lug projects into the inside of the wheel from one ,2i-'lc thereof and into the path of the coin that projects into the inside of the wheel from the periphery thereof. .la illustrated in lficure` l the lug il?. has au inclined sur lace which it presents to the edge. of' the, coin when the coin brought in contact;- with it. As the coin is thus moved past; the lug 32 by the coin wheel, the edge of the lug acts as a cani surface and gradually forces the coin away from the outer end ot the dog 13. Tl'hen this is done the coin is no longer held tight in the coin wheel so that the coin drops ont ot the slot 11.

The. lng is located near the lower end of the wheel so that when the coin comes in Contact with it, it knocks it loose from the lltl lain

slot and away from the dog 13 with which it makes contact so that the coin will drop out of the slot in the wheel into a suitable container or coin receptacle provided below the wheel 5. lVhen the coin has dropped out of the wheel 5 the connection between the dog 13 and the wheel is severed and the further rotation ot the wheel is secured only `by the pressure of the arm l24 against the roller 22 after the roller has passed the lower dead center ot the wheel and Vthis takes place `just after the coin has been knocked out of vthe wheel as above pointed out.

The wheel is rotated by the arm until one half of a complete revolution has been made vby it. The movement is arrested by the arm 24 as soon as the `roller 23 located on the wheel diametrically opposite to the roller 22 makes Contact with the arm at the point from which the roller 22 originally started its movement. Thus while the roller moves down and past the dead center of the lwheel at the bottom, the roller 23 moves up and over the dead center of the `wheel at the L'top which inally brings both of the rollers 22 and 23 into a position which is diametrically opposite to that which they had previously occupied. In kthis way a reversal of the position of the rollers 22 and 23 takes place every time the machine is operated. The momentum of the wheel given to it by the action of the expansion of the spring 3 0 through the lever 24 is not 4great enough to again depress the arm 24: through the roller 23 so that the arm forms a stop for-the roller 23 which arrests the movement of the wheel.

During the movement of the wheel '5 as above pointed out the rectangular notches 15, 15 in the flanges 6 and 7 of the wheel are moved from the extreme `top of the wheel while the corresponding` notches 16, 16 in the flanges ot the wheel are moved from `the vbottom to the top of the wheel so that a reversal of the position ofthe notches 15 and 16 takes place at the same time the position of the rollers 22 and 23`is reversed. As previously described one pair of notches 15, 15 or 16, 16 is normally placed directly at the bottom of the magazine 17. The article or package at the bottom of the magazine` thus rests vdirectly in these grooves and when the wheel is rotated as above pointed out it takes the lowermost ot these articles with it and vpulls it out from under the stack of the remaining articles contained in the magazine. This is possible because the vertical flanges 18, 18 at each side of the magazine are cut away at the bottom to allow the article at the bottom of the magazine to slide out therefrom at the front thereof. The rear of the magazine slightly projects between the flanges 6 and 7 of the wheel so that the article cannot slide out through the rear of the magazine.

When the wheel is turned to dispense one of the articles Contained `in the magazine, the articley is carried forward by the wheel until it reaches the stripper plates 33 and 34. The ends of these plates project between the ianges b and 7 of the wheel so that as the article is carried forward it slides onto the stripper plates which operate to move the article away from the wheel and out of the rectangular notches in the iianges thereof. As soon as this is done the article drops by force of gravity through the duct 35 into the Vtrough 3o where it may be picked up by the person operating the machine.

The coin `which has been inserted into the machine to make it operate is carried down between the stripper plates and 3e which `for this reason are spaced apart between the flanges G and 7 so as not toobstruct the passage of the coin between the stripper plates. In order to prevent the coin from dropping `into the trough 36 a partition 37 is provided between the stripper plates 33 and 34'so as to form a vertical channel with them and yproperly guide the coin into the coin receptacle below the wheel 5 after the coin has been released from the wheel.

As will be seen'from an inspection of Figures 2 and 3 the outer portion of the arm 24 is curved forming a depression 40 therein. When, therefore, the rollers 22 and 23 depress the arm they first ride up on the straight section of the arm until they reach their lowermost point on the flange 6 of the wheel. At `this 4point the rollers begin to vride down the curved portion of the arm. The inclined or curved surface of this por tion .of the arm quickly shifts the direction yin which the force of the arm is applied t0 the periphery `of the roller and in doing so operates :to force the roller forwardly and assists in rotating the wheel 'as soon as the roller has passed ythe lower dead center of the wheel.

The mechanism for turning the wheel remains `the same and operates to move one carrier in place under the magazine while the other is withdrawn from under it to deliver one ot' the articles contained therein.

I claim:

1. In a vending machine, the combination ofa magazine, a wheel comprising a pair of -ianges mounted rto rotate below lsaid magazine, saidflanges being connected together byhorizontal ribs, each of said ribshaving a slot .provided therein, al shaft on which said wheel is mounted to freely rotate, a dog keyed to said shaft between said flanges of said wheel, the slots in said ribs being adapted to receive the coin forming a shoulder below said ribs and between said flanges said dog bein@ adapted to make engagement with the shoulder formed by a coin and rotate said wheel on the rotation fof such shaft, notches provided in the periphery of said flange adapted to receive, support and confil) rey the articles vended by said vending machine at each turning of said wheel.

2. In a vending machine, the combination of a magazine, a wheel comprising a pair of llangcs mounted to rotate below said magazine, means provided on said flanges for supporting and carrying articles delivered from said magazine, said flanges being conneeted together by horizontal ribs. each ot said ribs haring a slot formed therein, a pair of pins` mounted between said flanges above each of said ribs one on each side ot' the slots therein and forming supports parallel to the sides of the slots. the slots in said ribs being located below said pins and adapted to support a coin and hold it to project between said tlanges to forni a shoulder. a dog mounted to rotate independently within said wheel and between said flanges said dog be ing adapted to engage the coin carried by said wheel and rotate said wheel on the rotation of said dog.

3. In a Vending machine. the combination of a pair of vertical sides. a shaft mounted to rotate between said vertical sides, a wheel mounted to rotate on said shaft, a dog keyed to said shaft. means to support a coin on said wheel, said dog being adapted to engage the coin to turn said wheel. al spring pressed arm piroted on one of said vertical sides. a portion of said arm being straight and the remainder of said arm being curved. a pair of rollers` mounted on the side of said wheel, said spring pressed arm being forced against said rollers, said rollers being adapted to tirst ride over the straight surface of said spring pressed arm on the rotation of said wheel by said dog, and then ride down the curved portion of said lever to force said roller forwardly after a predetermined position thereof and means provided on said wheel to pick up an article and carry it to a predetermined position on the rotation of said wheel.

l. In a rending machine. the combination ot an upright. a stationary bushing mounted in one of said uprights, an annular channel formed on the outside of said bushing. a shaft mounted to rotate in said bushing, a dog keyed to said shaft adjacent to said bushing. a feed wheel mounted to independently rotate on the periphery of said bushing within said annular channel, means provided on said feed wheel to support a coin thereon and hold it projected into the path of said dog, said feed wheel being adapted to be rotated on the rotation of said shalt by the engagenient of said dog with a coin held in place in said feed wheel.

5. ln a vending machine, the combination of an upright, a lmshing` mounted stationary in said upright7 a shaft mounted to freely rotate in said bushing, a dog keyed to said shaft adjacent to said bushing, a bearing formed on the periphery of said bushing, a feed wheel mounted to independently rotate on the bearing of said linishing, a collar on the outside ot said bearing to prevent frietional contact; of said feed wheel with said dog, means adapted to support a coin in said feed wheel and hold it projected into the path oli said dog and form a shoulder on said feed wheel through which said feed wheel can be rotated on the engagement therewith by said dog.

G. ln a vending machine, the combination of a. shaft. a stationary bushing adapted to form l iai-ing for said shaft, said bushingr haring an annular channel formed on the periphery thereof, a feed Wheel n'iountcd to rotate on said bushing in said annular channel. said feed wheel having means to carry a coin. means carried by said shaft to engage the coin carried by Said feed wheel to connect said shaft with said feed wheel, to gire said feed wheel additional movement, means to automaticallyv continue said n1ove ment` into a predetermined position, and means on said feed wheel to receive an arti cle, the said feed wheel being constructed to drop the coin and article. atI ditl'erent predetermined points during the rotation ol' said feed wheel.

T. rl`he combination in a vending machine of a combined coin wheel and feedingr wheel comprising a pair of flanges. ribs haring slots formed in them, said ribs connectingr said flanges, a coin adapted to be supported in the slots of said ribs. supports j'n-ovided on the periphery of said combined coin wheel and feeding wheel adapted to receive articles to be tended by said vendingr machine. a dog mounted to idly rotate within said feeding wheel and said coin wheel. said dog being adapted to rotate said coin and feeding wheel on the insertion ot a coin thatwill connect said dog with said feeding wheel.

In testimony whereof l allix my signature.

HENR Y II. PULVER.

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